Arizona selected for national expansion of PRIME TIME family reading program

PRIME TIME Inc., an affiliate of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH), in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, selected public libraries in Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Michigan to participate in the national expansion of the LEH's award-winning family reading and discussion program, PRIME TIME FAMILY READING TIME®. National expansion of PRIME TIME is made possible through a $250,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), which also supported earlier grants for implementation in Louisiana and initial national expansion.


In Arizona, the Arizona Humanities Council will direct the partnership with the Pima County Public Library system. The four libraries in the Pima County Public Library system selected to participate are: Valencia Branch Library, Quincie Douglas Branch Library, Southwest Branch Library, and Mission Branch Library. All sites are located in Tucson.


Based on illustrated children's books, PRIME TIME-now in its 19th year-- is designed to help low-income, low-literate families bond around the act of reading and talking about books. It models and encourages family reading and discussion of humanities topics, and aids parents and children in selecting books and becoming active public library users. PRIME TIME received the 2003 Advancement of Literacy Award from the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the ALA, and the Coming Up Taller Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2000. Nearly 1,000 PRIME TIME programs in 38 states have been completed, graduating more than 36,000 children and their parents/guardians.


The Arizona Humanities Council will receive grant funding and materials to work with library staff to present the PRIME TIME series at the participating library sites. Each series will meet once a week for six weeks at participating libraries. Common Ground, PRIME TIME's newest syllabus, offers a proven vehicle for libraries to engage a multicultural audience including non-English speakers. Through a discussion leader and a storyteller, children ages 6 to 10 years and their parents or guardians will hear classic children's stories; watch reading aloud demonstrations; discuss humanities themes in each book; and learn about library resources and services. Translators will be available where bilingual or multilingual audiences will be recruited. Younger siblings, ages 3 to 5 years, will participate in separate pre-reading activities.


PRIME TIME is based on a successful series of the same name that was created by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities in 1991 at the East Baton Rouge (La.) Parish Library and has spread nationally with funding from NEH. To date, over 1,000 programs have been implemented in 38 states graduating over 38,000 participants. To date, the LEH has invested $6.7 million in development and expansion of PRIME TIME, including $2.2 million in NEH grants.

LEARN Program

By Lauren Ella Nichols




Every day one program changes the lives of adolescent and adult students, helping them, step-by-step, get back onto the path of education. Twenty-one years ago the LEARN, which serves in the Adult Probation Department of the Superior Court in Pima County, was started. Since 1988, Program LEARN has served over 10,000 students. This year 40 students earned their GEDs, graduating on a warm summer evening in June.

LEARN stands for Literacy Education And Resource Network. It was established at the Intensive Probation Supervision office and then joined a pilot program started by the Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts to serve juvenile and adult probationers over 16 years old, as well as other adult community members.

With a phenomenal faculty and staff, this program has helped many people get a second chance at an education. The faculty and staff consist of Program Coordinator Deborah Tinajero and Instructor Rebecca Gray. Also, JoAnne Pope and Patsy Cowles work as education assistants and Brian Bloomfield, Shanon Easterday and Rob Druckenbrod teach the Cognitive Skills program.

These extraordinary staff members have guided and taught students to achieve their goal of getting their GED. Proud graduate Laura Salinas, who also spoke at graduation, shares her experience as a LEARN student and explains why the program is important.

Laura became involved with the LEARN program when she was laid off from her job for not having a GED. Although she had four certifications in the medical field and 16 years experience, they required her to have a GED or she could not come back to work.

“LEARN gives people a second chance to get their GED and to start over. It gives people individual attention and the way the teachers teach is amazing,” said Laura. “They do not want to just teach you the material, they make sure you understand. They treat you like an adult, with respect.”

Eighty percent of the students are court-referred. The LEARN program requires students to set goals and provides various academic and social skills that will help their reentry into the community. The classes emphasize improvement in literacy skills and earning a GED, as well as being trained in parenting, money management and cognitive skills.

LEARN is funded by many different programs. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, one of its three sites was closed in the past year and another site suffered a cutback in hours. LEARN relies on their volunteers who gave 255 hours of unpaid service last year.

LEARN is a big part in the community, helping people with a second chance,” said Laura. “It is helping the community become a better place.”

Pascua Yaqui- Mother Read/ Father Read

By Lauren Ella Nichols




As I walked through the doors of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Community Senior Center, I was greeted by many friendly faces and one simple phrase: ‘Lios Em Chania uv’ or ‘Welcome.’ I felt warm and excited as I walked into the room of the Mother Read/ Father Read Program, led by Frederica Torres and Ella Gomez from the Pima County Public Library. On this day, generations of Pascua Yaqui were coming together to share their culture and to honor the elders of the community.

Forty-five community members gathered to hear and share the story, The Mud Pony, illustrated by Shonto Begay (a native Navajo) and retold by Caron Lee Cohen. Before beginning, a silent video of horses flashed on the screen. Frederica explains that “You don’t always need words to tell a story, literacy can be shared visually.”

Representing literacy in different aspects includes all members of a group. Participants also enjoyed a ride on a pony, sponsored by Nanci Roahi from Step Up Clyde, a non-profit organization that helped with the multi-faceted portrayal of The Mud Pony.

Everyone intently followed along or listened as the story was read. When it came to an end, a discussion began on how the story made members of the group feel and their connections to the book. Some shared that the story was interesting and others thought it represented how we grieve and cope when we have lost something dear to us such as family. An elder added that it showed how the way someone handles difficult situations is how they are going to teach their grandchildren how to cope with emotions.

Spending time with the Pascua Yaqui, I learned that the elders are well-respected and that young children look to them for wisdom, motivation and stories of their families. Young Pascua Yaqui use time with their family and elders to learn about who they are and their journey in life.

The phrase Pascua Yaqui use is ‘Itom uusim into im amum, jakam tui’ isi itom Yo’ owem Yo’ore,’ or ‘Our children and Grandchildren respect our Elders very much.’

Amalia Reyes is the manager of the new Dr. Fernando Escalante Community Library and Resource Center. She also works with a local charter high school to incorporate Yaqui beliefs into school curriculum, so that students can learn and remember their culture. She explains that when she hears the story of the Mud Pony she immediately makes a connection to a story about a white horse that her TaTa told to her when she was younger.

Elder Amelia Robles was one of the first people to advocate for a new library. “She wanted to ensure that young children and the Pascua people will be able to have a place to take their grandchildren and share these stories,” said Library Manager Amalia Reyes. When asked to share something about family Amelia Robles says, “You should respect your elder, any elder, even if not related to you. Salute them and listen to them.”

Julie Galaz is a volunteer for the center and works for the library. Julie says she enjoys reading and likes to read with her granddaughter. When she was younger she was never told any stories so the GED program gave her the opportunity to learn to read and share stories with her granddaughter. Julie never missed a day of classes. She gives special thanks to Gerald W. Jeffery, Adult Education Center Coordinator, who she calls an instrumental person in the literacy program.

Being invited to share this day with the tribe was an honor, not only to learn about their literacy journey, but the oral traditions they knew as children and how they are passing on these stories to their children and grandchildren. Says Frederica from the Pima County Library: “We are united and need to remember that literacy education improves lives of those in our communities.”